BirthdaySensory-inclusive Party Tips

While most families want to include their children in the typical birthday traditions of balloons, singing and gathering, for children with autism birthday parties are likely to create some sensory overload. The singing, dancing, laughing, and shouting can put them into overdrive and turn what should be an enjoyable experience into a stressful one. But this doesn’t mean kids with autism should miss out on birthday parties – they just need to be approached a little differently.

Plan Sensory-Friendly Activities

The great news is that the team at Blue Sprig Pediatrics created a wonderful list of sensoryinclusive birthday ideas that are as much fun for all children as they are accommodating for children with autism. Activity ideas include:

• Sensory-friendly slime: Playing with slime is not only an enjoyable activity but helps children develop their fine-motor skills. It can also be a relaxing activity for kids, especially those with autism.

• Sensory-themed bins:These are plastic tubs or containers filled with some material to help stimulate the senses. While they activate the senses, these bins provide a calming activity and present opportunities for learning and exploring.

• Birthday-party playdough: Playdough is fun just about any time and is another great activity to infuse into a birthday party as a creative and relaxing mode of play.

In addition to activities, consider environmental modifications to help prevent children from feeling overwhelmed, such as a venue with limited capacity, a quiet room, dimmed lighting or music that is not too loud.

Every child is different and that is true for kids with autism as well. If you are inviting a child with autism as a guest, don’t be afraid to ask their parent how to make the celebration as inclusive as possible.

Visual Transitions Are Key

After selecting sensory-friendly activities in a soothing environment, concentrate on how children will transition from one activity to the next.

Displaying a visual schedule of the party’s events on the wall and verbally reviewing the itinerary with kids will help every party-goer feel comfortable with the day’s events.Another idea is to announce the end of the activity with some advanced notice. For example, you can tell children that “in 10 minutes, we will finish arts and crafts and move to cupcakes.” This helps children visu- alize what will happen and when, all particularly helpful for children with autism.

Ask For Extra Help

If you are hosting an event for your own child, ask for friends and other family members to help at the party. Someone familiar with neurodiversity can help set up activities and assist with meltdowns if necessary. You can also seek consultation with your therapy team beforehand to discuss what would work best for your child.

Prepare for Meltdowns

Since birthday parties present opportunities for sensory overload, there is a possibility that your child will experience a meltdown. At Blue Sprig Pediatrics, we help parents identify signs that a child is beginning to feel overwhelmed and empower them to utilize strategies that may help avoid meltdowns. For example, parents can work together with their child to create a “break plan” which may include identifying a quiet room, using a weighted blanket, engaging with sensory-friendly toys, or taking a moment to enjoy favorite foods.

Also, consider eliminating triggers. For example, if your child is likely to have a meltdown if a balloon pops, don’t have balloons at the party, or have larger helium balloons that are less likely to pop. Or if your child does not like people singing “Happy Birthday”, set aside time to practice what that will be like ahead of time or skip the tradition all together.

Watching videos of birthday parties are also a great way to help your child prepare for the experience. Work on activities like responding when opening a present, involving them in a calendar countdown to party day, and reviewing pictures of people who will be at the party ahead of time.

With a little extra planning and expectationsetting, birthday parties can be enjoyable and happy experiences for all children including those with autism. To learn more, visit bluesprigautism.com.

Fleetwood Roller Rink

Our venue hosts public skating, birthday parties (our specialty) privates and fundraisers. We promote family fun for all ages plus for “health sake, roller skate.” Complete Birthday Packages include Admission, Skate Rentals, Pizza & Soft Drink, Birthday Centerpiece, Gift for Birthday Person, Birthday Host and Mic Announcement. Check website for our ongoing specials and public skating times. Fleetwood Roller Rink (established 1957) is a family-owned business. Located at 7231 West Archer Ave., Summit. 708-458-0300. www.fleetwoodrollerrink.com

WhirlyBall Naperville

Eat. Drink. Game ON! Whether you’re celebrating an engagement, an anniversary, a teambuilding event, or raising funds for your not-forprofit, WhirlyBall Naperville has you covered for non-stop fun! In addition to WhirlyBall, there’s a multi-level LaserTag arena, eight bowling lanes, a four-lane VIP private bowling suite, and HyperBowling. Offering a relaxed yet elevated dining experience featuring fresh takes on classic American fare, an expansive collection of 24 rotating craft beer selections, and refreshing signature cocktails. Reserve your space today! WHIRLYBALL NAPERVILLE, 3103 ODYSSEY CT, 630-932-4800, www.WhirlyBall. com/Naperville [See our ad on Page 3.]

It’s no exaggeration to say that the one event kids really look forward to all year is the summer camp. But how do you choose the right one for them? Based on my experiences as the parent of a teenager as well as conversations with other parents, I’ve figured out the top six things to consider.

Cost

It goes without saying that cost is an important factor, especially if you have more than one kid. Summer camps can range widely in price, depending on whether they’re bare-

By Tanni Haas, Ph.D.

bones camps with a limited number of activities, or camps that offer a lot of expensive activities like overnight trips. But don’t just consider the price of the camp. Also consider how much money you’ll have left for other summer activities like family trips. Kids’ summer vacations are long and can feel even longer if the whole family has to stay home for many weeks because you didn’t have any money left to do other things. I learned this the hard way the first time our son went to a summer camp. The camp was so expensive that we ended up not having money for our planned family vacation.